Explain what it seems to mean for Ender to be born a "Third." Analyze whether this is a negative or positive thing for:-his parents-his brother, Peter-his sister, Valentine-his classmates

Use evidence from the text to support your answer. You must include page numbers (parenthetical citation) in order to get the full points. You must write in complete sentences. Spelling, grammar and punctuation needs to be correct.

The parents sees Ender as a third and as a negative. In the text it states, “The experiment entitled Andrew Wiggins hadn’t worked out after all” (Card 5). This shows how the parents could be ashamed of Ender and be embarrassed because he’s a “third” and the experiment didn’t work. Peter is mad and jealous that his brother Ender had his monitor longer than him, especially since he is a third child and having a third child is usually not permitted by law (Card 2). Valentine considers that Ender is a positive thing. The author wrote, “Valentine taught him arithmetic when he was three” (Card 5). This shows that Valentine isn’t ashamed of Ender, and she considers him as a younger brother that she has to be a role model for. One the other hand, Ender’s classmates see Ender being a third as a negative thing. The text states, “You mean it takes this many of you to fight one Third? We’re people, not thirds, turd face...” (Card 7). This shows that Ender’s classmates don’t see him as a normal person, and they think he’s different than the rest of the society.

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Troop 7

10/29/2014 9:15am

A “third” means he is third born, having two older siblings. This society is based on having two children, not three, accept he was born because the government wanted the parents to have another kid.This is a negative thing for his parents, his brother, and his classmates. In the book, a group of his classmates starts calling him names such as a “third”. They said,“Hey, Third, hey, turd, hey, you flunked out, huh? Thought you were better than us, but you lost your little birdie, thirdie. Got a bandaid on your neck” (Card 6). The classmates use “third” as a negative bad nickname for Ender, which means it’s not good being a third.We can infer that Peter is a bad person, because Ender says, “Take my monitor away, and I’m just like Peter” (Card 8). This was said right after Ender beat up one of the classmates. This must be what Peter is like. “No, no I don’t want your help. I can do it on my own, you little bastard, you little third,”(Card 2). This is what Peter says to Ender when Ender tries to help him. This shows how Peter uses Third as a negative statement and doesn’t like having Ender as a third. “Valentine had taught him arithmetic when he was three,”(Card 5). This is a kind gesture, teaching her little brother how to do arithmetic. That shows she cares for him even though he’s a third. “It was not his fault he was a third. It was the government’s idea, they were the ones who authorized it, how else would a third like Ender gone to school?” (Card 5). This shows how his parents didn’t really want him in the first place. They were ordered to have him by the government. That is the only reason he went to school; not because his parents wanted him to go to school, but because the government did. The parents didn’t want a third. They were told to have one.

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Troop 8

10/29/2014 9:16am

To be a third, means to be the third child in your family. It is frowned upon to have more than two kids in their society, but, in Ender’s case, the government allowed it. Being a third has a negative impact on Ender’s classmates. In the book it says, “Oh, gonna fight me, huh? Gonna fight me, Thirdie?” (Card 7). This tells the reader that being a third is a bad thing for Ender and to his classmates. They look down at him and make fun of him as if he were worthless and to them, he gets in the way. To Peter, Ender being a third is a negative thing. Peter doesn’t like having Ender in the family because it’s a constant reminder that Peter had the chance to be accepted into the school and he did all the same tests and training, but he failed. The text stated, “I’m just like Peter. Take my moniter away, and I am just like Peter,” this shows that Ender doesn’t want to be like Peter (Card 8). The fact that Ender is a third has a positive impact on his sister, Valentine. Valentine really loves Ender and Ender loves Valentine, “Valentine loves me.’ ‘With all her heart” (Card 23). Since Peter is rude to Valentine, Ender, being a third, has a positive impact on Valentine because she has someone else in the family to go to. Meanwhile, Peter is violent and rash; Valentine doesn’t like to hang around him when he acts so inappropriately. Being a third, Ender has both a positive and a negative impact on his parents. In the text it’s stated “They love you. The question is whether they want you here. Your presence is a constant disruption . A source of tension. Do you understand?” (Card 23). Ender’s parents love Ender, but he is, as mentioned, frowned upon being a third child in a government that only allows two kids.

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Troop 6

10/29/2014 9:17am

CHAPTER 1:
To be a third, means to be a third child born in the family. In the book, the government doesn’t allow more than two children. This makes Ender different and separated from everyone else. In the text it says “ It wasn’t his fault that he was a third. It was the government’s idea, they were the ones that authorized it- how else could a Third like Ender have got to school” (Card 5).

Parents- Having a third is negative because of the way Peter sounds. He sounds like a nuisance that hurts Ender a lot for having a monitor longer than he had his. Their parents probably have to stop their fighting a lot, which is negative. The text states, “And Peter won’t hate me anymore” (Card 2).

Peter- Having a little brother is negative for Peter because in the text it says, “And Peter won’t hate me anymore. I’ll come home and show him that the monitor is gone, and he’ll see that I didn’t make it either” (Card 2). This shows that Peter really didn’t like Ender because he had the monitor longer than him, and it shows that Peter is a failure in the government eyes and his parents eyes because he wasn’t what the government wanted or needed.

Valentine- Having Ender as a little brother is positive for Valentine. This is because Valentine cares about Ender. The text states, “Valentine had taught him arithmetic when he was three,” (Card 5). This shows that Valentine cares about Ender enough to help him learn. You can infer that Valentine loves Ender very much.

Classmates- Ender being a third is negative for his classmates because the text states, “Hey, Third, hey, turd, you flunked out, huh? Thought you were better than us, but you lost your little birdie, Thirdie” (Card 6). This shows that he is negative for his classmates because Ender is one of the best students in the class which makes all the students that don’t match up to his intelligence (which is all the students) feel worse about themselves, and provokes them to pick on Ender.

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Troop 9

10/29/2014 9:17am

Ender was born as a third child, for him and the world this is a negative aspect of his character. Ender’s brother, Peter, uses the word third as an insult and bullies Ender. “I can do it on my own, you little bastard, you little third” (Card 2). This is a negative because Peter is insulting his brother, and using the fact that he is a third child to hurt and tease him. His classmate’s reaction to Ender being a third is negative because they use it as an insult against him. “Hey, Third, we’re talking to you, Third, hey bugger-lover, we’re talking to you” (Card 6). This shows that Enders peers are using the fact that he is a third child as an insult. This is clearly a negative thing for his classmates. His parent’s reaction to him being a “Third” is a positive. “It was not his fault he was a Third. It was the government’s idea, they were the ones who authorized it-how else could a Third like Ender have got into school?” (Card 5). This shows a positive reaction towards Ender being a Third because they must’ve really wanted a Third, and the government allowed them to have the another child. Normally third children are not allowed to go to school, but his parents loved him so much they got the government to let Ender get an education. “Valentine had taught him arithmetic when he was three” (Card 5). This shows that Valentine views the fact that Ender is a third child, as a positive thing. They have a close relationship because first she took the time to teach her younger brother, who was three at the time, arithmetic. She is also very close to her brother, because she had nicknamed Andrew, her brother, Ender. Overall Enders family and peers have mixed opinions on Ender being a third child.

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Troop 1

10/29/2014 9:25am

Explain what it seems to mean for Ender to be born a "Third."
This means that Ender was born a third child. One can infer that the limit of children is two, so it is very unnatural for a third child to be born. However, the government allowed Ender to be born because his parents raised very intelligent children. They are hoping that Ender will be even smarter than his siblings in order to get into the I.F.
Analyze whether this is a negative or positive thing for:
-his parents
I think that the parents feel ashamed about having a third because the government most likely has a two child limit. The fact that they had a third child is almost a crime, so I can imagine that the fact that a third child was born would be rather humiliating.
-his brother, Peter
Negative, I think that the relationship between the two brothers is a very rocky one. “No, Peter was too dangerous. Peter got so angry” (Card 2). This shows that Peter obviously does not like Ender at all and when Peter got angry, he took it out on Ender.
-his sister, Valentine
Positive, Valentine enjoys having a younger brother. “Valentine had taught him arithmetic when he was three” (Card 5). This shows that Valentine cares for Ender despite him being a third child.
-his classmates
Negative, as it is unnatural to be a Third, the other students tend to tease and bully Ender. “‘We’re people, not Thirds, turd face. You’re about as strong as a fart!’ But they let go of him. And as soon as they did, Ender kicked out high and hard, catching Stilson square in the breastbone” (Card 7). This shows that when Ender is called this name, he may result to violence and try to hurt the people that are taunting and/or bullying him. This is negative.

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Troop 3

10/30/2014 8:49am

For Ender’s brother, Peter, Ender is a negative, as Ender specifically thinks that “Peter won’t hate me anymore. I’ll come home and show him that the monitor’s is gone, and he’ll see that I didn’t make it either” (Card 2). Peter obviously doesn’t like Ender because of the fact that he thought of Ender as a mistake. Also, another reason Ender is a negative thing for Peter is because the author states, “...Peter wouldn’t leave him alone. There was something in Peter’s eyes, when he was in his mad mood, and whenever Ender saw that look, that glint, he knew that the one thing Peter would not do was leave him alone” (Card 2). This explains that even though Ender is considered finally normal, Peter still won’t leave him alone.
For Valentine, Ender is a positive. In the text, it states that “Valentine had taught him arithmetic when he three” (Card 5). Unless Valentine dearly loved Ender, she probably wouldn’t teach him and spend time with him at all.
Ender is a negative for his classmates. As said in the book, “They could say what they liked. They might even hit him now- no one could see them anymore, and so no one could come to Ender’s rescue” (Card 6). Since the monitor came off, it gives
Ender’s classmates the chance to do something to him without getting in trouble or seen for it.
Ender is considered negative for his parents as the text states “If they could, he was sure they would like to rescind the waivers that had allowed him to be born at all” (Card 5). This shows, that without the waivers from the government, Ender’s parents would never had been born at all.

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Troop 4

10/30/2014 9:08am

For Ender’s parents it is a negative thing because since they had a third child they knew that he would already have a hard life ahead of him. Ender was lucky that his school had gotten him in and he was able to be educated, unlike many other thirds. As it states in the novel “How else could a Third like Ender have got into school?” (Card 5).

For Ender’s brother Peter, it’s negative thing because having a third child in their society is a bad thing, Peter was jealous of Ender because Ender was smarter than Peter and that Peter was not good enough for the government, as stated “The brother tested out impossible” (Card 1).

For Ender’s sister Valentine, Ender being a third is a positive thing, because in the text it says “Valentine had taught him arithmetic when he was three” (Card 4). This shows that it was a positive for Valentine because she had someone do stuff with and she just didn’t have Peter who picked on her and was mean to her.

For Ender’s classmates it was a negative because in the text it talks about how thirds aren’t people and how it’s illegal according to the government because in the text it says “We’re people, not thirds, turd face.” (Card 7).

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Troop 2

10/30/2014 7:56pm

Ender is called a third because he was the third child when there is a law that says only two children can be in each family. Ender’s parents got special permission from the government to be able to have Ender because his family was very smart. Although Ender’s family is not mentioned in the first chapter, we can infer that a third would be a bad thing for them. His parents might feel embarrassed because they have a third child when everyone else has only two. In the story, it says “It was not his fault that he was a third. It was the government’s idea, they were the ones who authorized it” (Card 5). This shows that Ender’s parents might not have wanted a third child since it was the government’s plan, not theirs.This is a negative for Ender’s classmates because Ender has kept his monitor longer than they have. This makes his classmates feel that it is unfair because he technically wasn’t supposed to be born. After class some of Ender’s classmates ganged up on him and were calling him names just because he was a Third who lost his monitor. In the text it said, “‘Hey, Third, hey, turd, you flunked out, huh? Thought you were better than us, but you lost your little birdie, Thirdie, got a bandaid on your neck’” (Card 6). However, Ender being a Third is not a negative thing for his sister. The text says “Valentine had taught him arithmetic when he was three” (Card 5). This shows that Valentine cared enough about Ender to use her time to help him with school. Valentine must view a third child as something positive. On the other hand, Ender’s brother, Peter, does not like the idea that he is in a family with a Third. In the text it stated, “Ender leaned his head against the wall of the corridor and cried until the bus came. I am just like Peter. Take my monitor away, and I am just like Peter” (Card 8). This shows that Peter might be mean to Ender because Ender kept his monitor longer than he did. Being a Third is sometimes negative and sometimes positive.

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N.K.

11/12/2014 9:07am

To be born as a "Third" is a very rare event in the "world" that Orsin Scott Card is depicting in his novel. Although my reading is inchoate, I have come to an understanding that it is the event in which a third child is born into the family when the usual or normal amount of children per household is two. According to the text, it seems to be quite an anomaly and has a negative connotation when one is called a "Third". The text states, "It was not his fault he was a third. It was the government's idea, they were the ones who authorized it - how else could a Third like Ender have got into school?" (Card 5)
Ender being a "Third" is considered a negative point to his parents. "The experiment entitled Andrew Wiggin hadn't worked out after all. (Card 5) His parents loved him, ambiguously, but they would be embarrassed by Ender being a "Third" because he was a failed experiment. They would be considered extremely déclassé by others and expunged from society. In their eyes, Ender looks like an aberration.
Similarly, being a "Third" would be negative for his brother, Peter, because Ender is a living reminder of Peter's failure. The author says, "'The brother tested out impossible. For other reasons. Nothing to do with his ability.'" (Card 1) Also, "Come turn the pages for me. Oh, is the monitor boy too busy to help his brother? Is he too smart? ... No, no. I don't want your help. I can do it on my own, you little bastard, you little Third." (Card 2) This portrays Peter's animus and envy toward Ender for being allowed to be a "Third"; when having a third child in the family was usually a interdiction unless the government has sanctioned to do so.
Valentine, his sister truly loves him and helps nurture him while he grows. She shows she is being the ideal "good big sister". "Valentine had taught him arithmetic when he was three." (Card 5) This manifests that Valentine sincerely cares for him and proves that she recognizes Ender as a positive figure in her life. She does not mind that he is a "Third", she treats him the same way she treats everyone else. She considers him for what he actually is: her younger brother.
Ender's classmates classify him as a rather negative existence. They know he is unique and most likely seem that they are jealous of him. "'Hey, Third, hey turd, you flunked out, huh? Thought you were better than us, but you lost your little birdie, Thirdie, got a bandaid on your neck.'" (Card 6) From this text, it is apprehended that his classmates feel better knowing that he is now like them and everybody else; the advantage that Ender had over them was now removed, so they were free to bully him as they pleased. "'We're people, not Thirds, turd face. You're about as strong as a fart!'" (Card 7) This displays how they degrade him because of him being a "Third". They know he is not normal and not fully accepted into society, as well as his family.